Login
Spring skiing, dinner, and ping pong at Stowe week of March 9, 2026. John B
23 Gang members met at the Christian Center Library in Boston to take a 2-hour tour of the Church (1st & 2nd), How You See the World Exhibit, Mapparium and Ladies Room . . . "Yes," I said Ladies Room as it has been voted one of the "best in Boston for many years."
20 of us went to lunch at "Pressed" and were delightfully surprised that such a busy venue could give us a private room!
Thanks to Cheryl and her fellow guides for such an interesting tour! I hesitate to assume, but it sure looked like everyone had a "really good time!"
Cheers, Beverly C
We had a wonderful trip to Craftsbury this year. We had perfect weather for skiing all week long. Seventeen people from the Top of the Hill Gang went on the trip. All of us escaped the blizzard of 2026 by leaving the Boston area Sunday morning and the snow storm hit Sunday evening into Monday. Some people made calls back home to arrange to have their driveways plowed before their return. Northern Vermont got a small amount of fresh snow from that storm which added to the substantial base of snow that was already on the ground.
The ski area does a wonderful job grooming the trails. We had skiers of varying abilities. Different groups toured different parts of the substantially sized grounds. On one day, a group of ten of us skied from the ski area into the village of Craftsbury, which was about five mile trip, and we got a shuttle back to the facility.
While in prior years we had a participant that was an Essentrix exercise instructor, this year we had a volunteer who had computer access to a similar exercise class, and we were able to continue the exercise tradition.
As the ski facility is miles away from the nearest restaurants, the facility has a dining hall and provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner as a package with the night’s lodging. It was nice not to have to even carry a wallet as the cost of all the food was included in the reservation. Meal times were a pleasant social gathering. We also all gathered in the evenings in the lounge area of our Cedar Lodge. There were knitters, and people who played games: Rummykub, Five Crowns. A couple of jig saw puzzles were completed.
While we did not have a formal book group, keeping up the book group tradition, in our conversations, people shared the titles, authors, and plots of books they had recently read. And of course, in good Top of the Hill Gang style, there was wine, cheeses, nuts, crackers, chocolate, and good conversation to share. A good time was had by all.
Anne W
The last week in February, forty intrepid members of the Gang sojourned north for our annual outing at the Grand Summit Hotel at Sunday River Ski Resort. Many folks were able to arrive just ahead of the nor’easter that blanketed much of New England, while some had to dig out from nearly 30 inches of snow before joining us. What a hardy and determined group!
At our opening gathering we welcomed several new gang members who were on their first TOHG adventure. Each day after our adventures, we gathered at happy hour for camaraderie and good cheer around a beautiful fireplace.
We were treated to some great weather including a couple of bluebird days. The seven peaks of Sunday River provided opportunities for skiers of all levels whether experts or more casual recreational skiers. It was great to see how the new folks blended in and easily found skiing partners. Other gang members took part in snowshoeing, x-country skiing, and hiking at local venues.
A great feature of our hotel is the convenient ski-in/ski-out access it offers. Most folks didn’t set foot in a car or shuttle bus for the length of their stay. In the past few years Sunday River has upgraded several of their lifts and skiers can now enjoy high speed bubble chair lifts (with heated seats) to help take the sting out of the colder, windier days. Combining that with the nearly complete absence of lift lines and good snow conditions made for some glorious days on the slopes.
The igloo at the Jordan lift also offered an interesting diversion. Among the trip highlights were two wonderful banquets on-site coordinated by our Assistant Trip Leader, Marge Cohen. It was a great week, with longtime friendships rekindled and new ones forged.
Tom J
Dan sizes up the conditions on the Curling court before he sends his "plastic" stone down the lane . . . Yes, Folks, there isIndoor Curling.
Alan & Camilla hosted a lively day of indoor games for 16 enthusiastic members. Competition, laughter and spirited conversation carried on during Sequence, Left-Right-Center, Cribbage, Five Crowns and who will ever forget Indoor Curling! Conversation prevailed over a myriad of refreshments during breaks and the day concluded with more than one reference to "doing this again." Bev C
The TOHG Flags were a-flappin’ as 16 hardy souls braved the cold and often windy weather. It was a winter week like we used to have many years ago, including some beautiful blue-bird skies.
The week started with the Super Bowl and continued with the Winter Olympics. We almost reached “sensory overload!” Some skiers went to the “top of the hill.” Others went to the top of the Super Quad, about eighty- percent of the way. Slope conditions included hard-packed, groomed, and powder. Skiers included those with healthy joints, artificial joints, painful joints, and rubber joints. Gang members skied down green, blue, and black slopes.
It was a wonderful week, and even with all those variables, we were still able to be, as Marge Cohen stated, “Dancing with the Mountain.”
Pete C
Shortly after noon on February 9th, TOHG descended on the Lawrencian Ski Club in Bartlett, New Hampshire for a fourth visit despite the predicted freezing temps! Most were returning friends with a few newcomers mixed in. By the time we sat down to a potluck dinner that evening, we were all one big group!
Luckily the arctic temps warmed up enough Tuesday to allow everyone a chance to enjoy Cross Country skiing at nearby Great Glen, Snow shoeing at Thorne Pond Conservation Area and Bear Notch Cross Country. While some even snowmobiled! All returned for Happy Hour and a typical LSC dinner.
Wednesday arrived too quickly with everyone heading out for a repeat of Tuesday activities, after goodbyes and “See you next year”!
Linda McH
It was a bright, sunny day at Mt. Sunapee in New Hampshire for those few TOHG members that enjoyed a last minute downhill ski day on the mountain with trip leader Dick R.
The West mystery group had its annual planning meeting on January 31 at the Tavern in the Square in Littleton, Massachusetts. Twelve of us braved the cold winter day to gather for a delicious lunch, storytelling, and catching up with each other.
Carol B
Fifty seven members signed up for this trip which included everything from breakfast, dinner, and Après ski to gift certificates for use at several locations in and around Waterville Valley. On the first day, the area experienced the biggest snowstorm in years.
Many people arrived early (as in hours prior to check in) to beat the worst part of the storm, some showed up a day or two later, and a few didn’t make it at all, but those who were there had a wonderful time.
Excellent snow conditions, well-groomed slopes and trails, and cold temperatures made for great skiing.
The main activities that members engaged in were snowshoeing, hiking, and x-country and downhill skiing, and a couple tried snowmobiling, and most mornings, Kim T led a chair yoga class, with as many as 25 enthusiastic members in attendance!
Après ski was enjoyed by all before dinner each evening. In addition to the usual games of Balderdash after dinner, there were new card games as well as tile games. A rowdy but fun indoor golf putting contest was organized one evening by Paul McH and Marco A, with Ines A and Jodi R tying for first place. Another night, a large crowd participated in an indoor game of Cornhole.
New members showed up on this trip, and others joined us who were new to the Waterville trip. All reported having a great time with intentions to return next year.
Bob G and Helgard K
COPYRIGHT © 2026 TOP OF THE HILL GANG All Rights Reserved
